Silence and Secrets
by Not Your Cup of Tea
Summary: No one ever suspected the quiet girl to be hiding such a major secret. Forced to remain silent to avoid revealing too much, Hinata tries to do her job while somehow maintaining a relatively normal life. However, when Naruto's life is on the line, he learns firsthand who Hinata really is. Post High School/College AU. NaruHina.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is my second ongoing fanfiction and to be honest, I almost did not write this story at all. It started out as an idea that had very little development. I just wanted some nice NaruHina because that is my second OTP and it fights for the number one spot quite avidly. However, because my number one spot is SasuNaruSasu, I didn't focus on it much. But with new developments in the manga, I've been really craving some NaruHina but the stories here do not match up to my tastes. So instead of filtering through numerous existing fanfictions, I've decided to get to work on this idea!

I won't be able to update super fast because I have university, work, and Defined by Nature to work on as well. Yeah I'm committing fandom suicide by having two ongoing fanfictions but oh well! Hopefully y'all can handle it.

Warnings: I won't be posting full lemons here, but there will be mature content. Unedited chapters will be posted on my AO3 account, which you can access on my profile.

Here is chapter one. Enjoy!

* * *

**Here Comes Trouble**

The buildings were getting larger. Not in the literal sense, no- but as the vehicle approached the university Hinata felt her nerves light up at how close she was. Shivers passed down her spine and her fingers played with either the end of her blouse or her black dress pants. Several times she checked her appearance to make sure not a hair was out of place and repeated her mantra.

_There's nothing to fear. You have the credentials. You have the references. The interview is the easy part. _

She released the breath she was holding as she finished her thought. Her father glanced at her in the rear view mirror, stopping the car in front of a building labeled University Center in large purple letters. "You'll do fine. They'd be foolish to refuse a Hyūga after all."

His reassurance was half-hearted at best. She knew that once they saw her name, there would be no question about accepting her. No one refused the Hyūga clan. The name itself demanded respect and having a Hyūga going to their school was like receiving a massive donation.

But she wanted to _earn _it. She wanted to be accepted for her accomplishments rather than for her name. She was going to prove to them that accepting her would be a good idea because of what she herself had to offer. But in order to do that, she needed to steel her nerves.

"Hinata," Hiashi demanded her attention. "If you can do your _job_ at home, you can do this. I know you won't disappoint me."

She nodded, feeling some confidence rise in her. Her father wasn't a particularly kind man. He never showed sympathy to her quiet ways, but he had faith in her abilities because even though she was quiet and reserved, she got the _job _done. This interview was no different.

"Yes sir."

* * *

She looked around the medium sized office with careful precision. Her interviewer had stepped out a moment and she was kindly asked to take a seat in the office until he got back. His desk was covered in papers that looked to be letters of recommendation for prospective students. His computer revealed an open email about a staff meeting next week. Textbooks on how to write resumes and essays littered the shelves on the side of the room. On his desk was a picture of him with one arm around the shoulders of a busty blonde woman and the other around the shoulders of a blonde teenager.

Her eyes lingered on the photo for several minutes before she continued her observations. The window was cracked and was letting in some of the wind, causing a shrill but quiet sound to fill the room. The window pane was large enough to support the weight and length of a person, which explained the throw pillow that rested against the wall. Beside the throw pillow was an orange novel that she recognized as the most popular erotic novel on the market.

The man was relaxed and comfortable with himself and his interests. He enjoyed helping people. He preferred quiet time over large social gatherings. His wife was the dean of the university, which is probably how he landed the job. The lackadaisical manner his belongings were arranged in suggested a bit of carelessness or laziness. He was probably a pervert as well but she couldn't determine if he was open about it or if he was a closet pervert. She buttoned up the top button of her blazer just in case.

The rather large man reappeared in the doorway. "Sorry for the wait. I accidentally forgot to fax a file to my wife and the subject of your interview reminded me," his grin was large as he rubbed the back of his head. The man was old- probably in his late fifties or early sixties. He wasn't dressed as professionally as she was. He pushed aside the papers on his desk before leaning back in his chair and resting his feet on the corner. His arms folded into his lap. "Hinata Hyūga…first I would like to thank you for showing interest in Konoha University. We're not as big as some of the other universities so we were quite shocked to see your application."

She nodded in understanding of the hidden question. _Why did you choose to apply here? _"I wanted to stay close to home. Family means a lot to me." As she said this she glanced at the photo on his desk. "I also did a lot of research on psychology programs offered by nearby universities and felt that Konoha University had the most to offer."

He seemed pleased by her response. "That seems like a good reason to me. Any plans on what you'd like to do with a psych major?"

"I'd like to work with kids." Her declaration was blunt, and an eyebrow rose as a signal for her to explain. "I'm a nurturer at heart and so I feel like I'd be best with kids. I struggled with anxiety when I was younger because of the pressure of being the eldest." She held back a shudder. There was no way she could further indulge him about _that_. "I had to go to therapy myself to learn how to cope and even back then I admired the counselors and what they were doing. This is something I've been passionate about since I started therapy, and when my sessions ended I started studying really hard. I want to help kids like those counselors helped me."

She took a deep breath after her long explanation. She knew he would be more inclined to her personal story rather than sticking to purely professional dialogue, but it was a matter of whether she delivered it correctly.

His smile was reassuring. "I hope you do achieve this goal of yours. Welcome to Konoha University!" he reached out, offering his hand to her and she shook it. She smiled in return, her eyes landing back on the photo.

_I will succeed. I made a promise to myself that I would, and I won't give up until I do._

* * *

The last week of high school was hectic. The other third years were loudly boasting about what universities they were accepted into or talking excitedly with friends about graduation parties. Hinata sat quietly in her usual spot in the back of homeroom, doodling little circles on her notebook. The teacher had announced today to be a free day seeing as none of the third years were in the mood to listen to lectures. All the tests were done. The only thing left was the ceremony.

"So are you going to Ino's party?" Her quiet moment was interrupted by Sakura, a girl whose hair lived up to her name. Hinata's eyes focused in on the pendant that hung loosely on her chain necklace. The Haruno clan was primarily known for Haruno cosmetics and jewelry. She received _jobs_ involving them quite often around holidays.

She nodded in response to Sakura's question. Ino and Sakura were nice girls and even though she was quiet, the pair always invited her to social events. Several times they tried to get Hinata to open up, but most attempts to discuss things other than interests and the latest gossip were proven futile.

They weren't particularly close, but they were friends.

"Good! You should come over to my house before the party starts. I'm going to need an extra vehicle since Naruto is bringing the alcohol to my house. I swear for well off godparents they don't really buy him things that he needs, like a car…"

Sakura rambled for a while and Hinata nodded here and there. Her eyes glanced over to the blonde man across the room who was talking animatedly with a small group of people. She felt her gut twist as she replayed Sakura's words in her head. They were all underage, and there was no way Naruto was going to be able to steal that much alcohol from his godparents. Tsunade was an avid drinker in her downtime and Jiraiya was no different. They would know if they were suddenly missing several bottles of sake.

She ignored her gut feeling and returned her attention back to Sakura, discussing what their plans were post graduation. Sakura was going into the medical field while also helping her family's business on the side. Hinata said little about her plans, considering she was still working on some of the details herself. But when she mentioned attending Konoha University, Sakura gave her a knowing look.

"I had a feeling you would," as she said this, her eyes glanced over at Naruto. Her lips tilted upward in a smirk. "Keeping inspiration close, I presume?"

A light blush dusted her cheeks at Sakura's words. She never told anyone, but because of how close Sakura was to Naruto she must have managed to pick up on her silent glances.

"I can see why," she continued. "He's very charismatic. For someone as silent as you- not that that's a bad thing- it's normal to feel admiration for someone as outspoken as he is. He really has proved himself and grown on us all considering…"

Without even saying it, Hinata knew exactly what Sakura was referring to. Naruto was the new kid several years ago- a skinny orphan who managed to make it in the upper class schools due to his godparents taking him in. After his parents' deaths, he had run away and lived on the streets for a while until he was finally caught. It was all over the news and on his first day, his attitude was off-putting at best.

He started out with no friends. It was obvious that he didn't want to be there, and he was at risk of getting kicked out because of failing grades and bad behavior. But despite his behavior and reckless attitude, he was a people person. He talked up storms of wild and imaginative dreams of his, and anyone listening was awed at how well he could communicate his thoughts. Some would laugh at his stories purely because of how childish they seemed, but after a while he put that talent to use and blew everyone out of the water. A contest was thrown- write a story and the best one would be published. He had the story but his writing skills weren't that great so Naruto had worked for weeks on writing his. When he later won the contest and had his story published, that's when everyone's attitude towards him changed.

His story was amazing. Hinata remembered reading it and feeling like she could accomplish anything. It gave deeper meaning to who Naruto was as a person and everyone had a new found respect for him. When their attitudes changed, eventually his did too. He got better at school, made loads of friends, and stopped acting out for attention. He proved them all wrong in just one simple step and gained so much more. All because of the reoccurring theme in all of his stories…

Never give up.

Sakura turned back to her. The smirk changed into a reassuring smile. "You should talk to him at the party. You two are friends despite not being close after all. I think his crush on me finally faded so you should definitely try to get closer. Maybe you two can form a study group! He's doing child psychology too you know." Her eyes turned sad for a moment. "Plus he's going to need a female best friend to keep him grounded. I'm leaving for the states in a week to intern with Tsunade, and I won't be coming back for a while. Sasuke-kun fires up his temper too much so there's no way I'm leaving him in his hands alone."

Hinata lightly laughed at that. Sasuke and Naruto had an odd friendship. At first glance it appeared that they hated each other. Sasuke was a sore loser in the story competition, and since then the two had this fierce rivalry that would occasionally get violent. But in their quieter moments, there was understanding, especially when Sasuke lost his parents. Gradually, the physical fights dimmed down to only once a week.

"I'll try."

* * *

The afternoon before the party, Hinata had a meeting with her father. He had told her to be careful and typical protective father things. As she was about to leave, he left her with a note that she would never forget.

"Keep your eyes open. _They've_ been on the move lately and we don't know what their intentions are yet. Since you're going to be on that side of town, take this with you."

He handed her the object and she hid it well underneath her knee length dress. He handed her a few more supplies, which she buried in her purse, before she turned to leave for Sakura's.

The drive had her on edge. Thankfully she wasn't planning on drinking tonight otherwise her _job_ would be much harder. It was difficult enough considering intentions were unknown and just how many people were going to be at Ino's party.

The Yamanaka's rivaled the Haruno's in the fashion industry, but their focus was more on clothing and shoes. Since they also owned several flower shops, they usually incorporated flowers into their designs. Despite being well off, Ino lived in a moderate neighborhood that typically the middle class resided in. They blended in well- looking more like florists than designers, but the detail that bothered Hinata most is what _they_ could be after.

As she reached Sakura's house, she steeled her nerves and parked in the driveway next to Sakura's car. Sakura's parents weren't home apparently, hence why Naruto was bringing the alcohol here. Just as she got out of her car, the said man turned around the corner on a skateboard with a large ice chest resting on his shoulder.

"Hey Hinata!" he yelled as he stepped off the skateboard and set the ice chest down at their feet. He was shirtless and sweaty, his shoulder red from the weight. "This is the last one for the party. I think Sakura brought the other four I hauled over inside. What are you doing here?"

She tried to make eye contact, but his shoulders and abs were distracting her so she chose to instead look at the ice chest. "Sakura said she needed another vehicle."

Naruto looked a little shocked at her statement. "But you usually never drink…" he wondered aloud, and she blushed at the implication. She shook her head quickly and he seemed to relax. "Oh so you're just helping out then. That's really sweet of you!"

She was thankful that he caught on quick. She looked back at the ice chest and pointed at it. "I'll go ahead and put that in my car. You should rest." Before he could protest or offer to pick it up for her, she had the ice chest under one arm and was pressing the unlock button on her keys. With her other hand she opened the trunk and easily placed the ice chest in with room for two more.

"Man I wish I had known you were coming. I would have asked for help in bringing them here!" he sat down on his skateboard, pulling a T-shirt out of his pocket and started wiping away the sweat on his brow. "Those things are heavy and it's not easy skateboarding them all this way."

She wanted to say that the ice chests weren't that heavy, but she understood his meaning. Most of the difficulty was balance rather than actual strength. She leaned against her car door as she tried to think of something to say. Naruto seemed content sitting on his skateboard, but she knew that they should probably go inside and talk to Sakura.

Speaking of Sakura…

"Naruto you are NOT going to Ino's party looking like that!" The two looked up at the sound of Sakura's voice and they were met with the sight of Sakura looking out of the second floor window. "Go home and get decent while Hinata and I finish getting ready! We'll come pick you up."

Naruto was rubbing the back of his head. Hinata smiled at the similar nervous habit between him and his godfather. He waved toward her before taking off down the street on his skateboard. The front door swung open when she approached.

"I wanted to call out to you two sooner but saw that you were talking," Sakura started as she pulled Hinata inside. Sakura's house was cozy and announced just how close her family was. On the shelves were photos of Sakura growing up either by herself or alongside her parents. A large family portrait hung above the couch that faced a decent sized television surrounded by movies. There was plenty of furniture that could seat more than just the small family of three, probably to accommodate many guests. "I just finished putting ice in the other chests. Since you put the last one in your trunk we'll need to bring the last bag of ice outside."

She just nodded in response. That explained the relative lightness of the chest, but there still had to be a substantial amount of alcohol considering. Hinata again wondered just how Naruto got his hands on so much for being underage.

Sakura opened the freezer as soon as they got to the kitchen area and pulled out a bag of ice. She let it fall to the floor and closed the freezer door. "Can you take this one out? I'm a little sore from the other three." Hinata nodded as she lifted the bag of ice easily and laid it across her shoulder. She was thankful for the three-quarter sleeve that protected her from the worst of the cold. It didn't take her long to fill the ice chest with ice, but when she saw the contents she paused for a moment.

The logo on the bottles was familiar and she got a sinking feeling in her gut. Black with red clouds was never a good sign. She took her phone out of her back pocket and quickly messaged her dad a picture of the label. It did not concern her at the time that she was openly admitting to attending a party with underage drinking, but that was minor compared to the danger that was presented.

Her father's reply was swift.

_Stay close to Neji. I'll send word to the others._

Another text came not too long afterward.

_No drinking. Consequences are already coming. _

She sighed, but the annoyance of her father's old fashioned ways passed quickly. The most she would get was a lecture and quite possibly he wouldn't let her go to parties anymore. If it weren't for the danger, he would have demanded she come home now. But now she needed to be there because of _them_.

She knew there was something odd about Naruto supplying the alcohol.

When she returned to Sakura's side, Sakura was guzzling a bottle of water as she waited for something to finish cooking in the microwave. She was handed a water bottle for herself and took a sip. The microwave beeped and Sakura pulled out two cups of instant ramen.

"I'm sorry it's not gourmet but it'll have to do for now," Sakura apologized as she handed over one of the steaming cups. Hinata just smiled, perfectly content with the quick meal. They ate quietly, and when they were finished Sakura started pulling her toward the staircase.

"Time to get ready! I want to do your hair."

* * *

An hour later, Hinata was lying on the floor of Sakura's bedroom looking through a fashion magazine. Sakura had fixed her long, brunette tresses into soft curls that she fiddled with as she read some article about some celebrity faux pas. Tired with the article, she threw the magazine back into the basket.

Sakura was in the shower and she was left waiting. Neji had called her not too long ago just to tell her that he got word from her father about the situation and that when she arrived at the party to head straight for Ino's kitchen. His call ended shortly after that, probably to avoid voicing his annoyance of Naruto's recklessness to her.

She heard the shower stop and not too long afterward Sakura walked in wearing nothing but a towel. She walked over to her closet and pulled on some undergarments. Hinata turned away as the towel fell to the floor. "Hm…I like the style of your dress but I don't have anything similar. I have an off the shoulder dress that would look good…" she mused as she pushed dresses aside until she found the one she wanted. She took it off the hanger and held in front of her, turning toward Hinata. "What do you think?"

Hinata turned back to Sakura and admired the dress. It looked to be one of Sakura's mother's designs- a champagne colored dress that looked to be form fitting. One sleeve was a three-quarter sleeve while the other was a spaghetti strap. "The only problem is the lack of detail. I feel too formal and bland in this one." She put the dress back up and started fiddling through the hangers once more.

Hinata waited patiently as Sakura sorted through her dresses. Eventually Sakura snapped her fingers as she grabbed a red dress that flowed out at the bottom in thick ribbons. It was a good dress to dance in, and Hinata nodded her head as Sakura held it against her frame. The dress covered her down to her mid thigh. He arms were more exposed than she had originally planned, but the dress would offer the most comfort and flexibility.

She pulled the dress over her head and twirled around. Happy with her decision, she sat at her desk and started applying her makeup. "Are you going to dance at Ino's party? You're usually a wallflower but considering this will be the last party we'll have as a class I'm curious if we'll get to see you let loose a little." Sakura's tone was light but teasing.

Hinata blushed, but she didn't feel uncomfortable. Sakura and Ino were known for being relatively forward, but they never pressured her into doing anything- especially drinking. She couldn't find harm in dancing, but considering the danger she was probably going to have to skip it.

But she couldn't tell Sakura that. She couldn't tell anyone.

"We'll see."

* * *

The drive to Ino's went by quick. Hinata was left alone in her car up until they went to pick up Naruto. Apparently a couple of the guys were meeting up there and so Hinata ended up with Kiba and Shino in her car while Sakura drove Naruto and Sai. Kiba was quite shocked to see Hinata there, but he just laughed and they settled into comfortable conversation in which Kiba did most if not all the talking.

Ino's house was a two-story house just like Sakura's, but bigger. The house was also more modern- cozy but instead of a family feel it reeked of class. White tile throughout most of the house and marble counter tops all polished and cleaned except for the occasional straggler's cup or plate of food. Naruto and the other boys were bringing in the alcohol and the party-goers cheered as the first ice chest was brought inside.

Hinata left the group and headed straight for the kitchen where she was supposed to meet Neji. They made eye contact as she entered. He was talking to a group of people who had already graduated just like himself. He excused himself and they sat at the bar.

Most of the guests haven't arrived yet, so they had plenty of space to themselves to converse without being overheard. They watched as Naruto pulled a bottle of vodka out of one of the chests, and Neji's eyes narrowed at the label. "You're right. This is not good," he started, and she nodded in understanding. "_They_ are usually careful about what they put their label on. It worries me that he has so many."

"It worries me too." She admitted as they watched the bottle get passed around. Kiba and the others were carrying the other ice chests out to the backyard where most of the people would be. "But it doesn't seem like they're spiked, which decreases the danger some."

Her cousin nodded in agreement. "Still, we need to keep our eyes open. Nothing good can come of this." He crushed his red plastic cup and stood back up. "I'm going on the roof. I'll keep an eye on the neighborhood with Betsy."

Hinata chuckled at the nickname. "I'll mingle around inside then. Be careful." He nodded and headed down the hallway. She faintly heard him sneak up the stairs. She counted a minute before she started walking around the house, greeting those who called out to her.

She needed to talk to Naruto.

The blonde man was sitting on the couch with Ino and a couple of others playing a drinking game. Ino, not wanting to drink just yet, was using a soda instead of alcohol. She waved Hinata over and she joined them.

"Here's a soda for you! We're playing Never Have I Ever!" she winked, and Hinata smiled at the ridiculousness. Ino was elbowed by the kid next to her and she stopped to think for a moment. "Never have I ever…gone streaking."

Hinata blushed at the thought as a couple of the players took a drink, including Naruto who was glaring at Ino. "I was _dared _to in case you forgot!" he yelled at her, crossing his arms. Hinata could see that his cup was already almost empty. She tried not to think too hard on the other topics before she came along. "Your turn, Hinata!"

Everyone looked at her and a lot of people looked nervous while others looked excited to see she was playing. Being the quiet one, a lot of people never heard of her doing anything exceptionally crazy. However it's because of this as well that they felt like they would lose the game.

"Let's see…" she thought for a moment, fighting back her blush at the attention. Naruto was looking at her expectantly, waiting for what she would reveal. "Never have I ever been drunk."

She decided to keep it simple. A lot of people groaned as most of the group took a swig out of their cups. Most were surprised to see that Naruto had not moved. He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed sheepishly. "I've never been drunk, guys. My tolerance is pretty high!"

The game went on like that for a while longer. Music started playing from outside as more people started shuffling through the house. Hinata only got to drink a couple of times throughout the game- usually over trivial things like not ever going to an amusement park or something along those lines. It wasn't until people started getting buzzed that things got interesting.

Hinata wasn't paying attention to the group at the moment. She was watching the guests, especially the ones with alcohol. A few people had pushed back some furniture and moved into the created space and started dancing. Sakura was in that crowd and was attracting a lot of attention as she moved. It wasn't until Ino tapped on her shoulder that she returned her attention back to the game.

"You have to pay attention," she laughed and Hinata blushed at being caught. She mumbled an apology but Ino waved her off. "I'm just messing with you, sweetie. Let's continue!"

Apparently it was Naruto's turn at the moment. He was down to his last sip and he seemed pretty frustrated about losing. Hinata felt bad for him. He was always getting up to crazy things and everyone here knew just what kind of crazy things to exploit in games like this.

He sighed, trying to think of something he hasn't done. "Never have I ever…put somebody in the hospital."

Hinata gulped as she brought her cup to her lips. Everyone looked at her in absolute shock, causing her to turn fifty shades of red. She quickly drank, avoiding eye contact with everyone. She was glad that Naruto's laugh rang out at that moment, breaking the shocked silence. "Damn Hinata how did you do that?"

She looked up and thought for a minute. She had to be careful. "My family has their own martial art that we're taught," she started. This part was true, but… "I was sparring with Neji and I accidentally hit him so hard in the side that he broke a few ribs."

That wasn't _exactly _what happened but it'll have to do.

"You did that to him?" someone yelled in shock. Hinata recognized her as one of Neji's old classmates back when he was still in high school. She nodded, feeling her face flush again. Naruto brought a fist out and smiled. She bumped his fist, enjoying the feel of his calloused knuckles against her smooth ones.

"Thanks for sharing that with us." His smile was contagious. She felt so happy to be getting closer to him in that moment that she almost missed the projectile that was about to whizz past her head. She grabbed it, recognizing the weapon as a senbon needle.

_They _were here.

Thankfully the group wasn't paying attention and didn't notice. She quickly slipped the projectile underneath her dress. She looked in the direction it came from, noting that it had been aimed at Naruto. A man was running toward the backyard. She would have thought nothing of it except for the glimpse of a red cloud tattoo on the man's arm.

She took out her cell phone and quickly messaged Neji.

_They're after Naruto!_

As she hit the send button, something outside exploded. Screams and shouts were heard as people inside and out started freaking out. The game forgotten, Hinata grabbed Ino and Naruto and hurried them both up the stairs. Ino started panicking, leaving Naruto to support her as she opened the upstairs bathroom door and shoved them all inside.

"We're hiding here," she explained as Naruto dropped Ino on the toilet seat. "Try to keep her from hyperventilating." He nodded and took her command. However, Ino fainted the minute Naruto touched her.

"Well this isn't going so well," he groaned. He picked the poor girl up and placed her down in the bathtub. "What the hell is going on out there? Shouldn't we try to help the others?"

Hinata shook her head. "They'll be okay. _They're_ after you," she quickly explained as she finished her barricade against the bathroom door. She pulled her dress up past her mid thigh and pulled the gun out from the strap. Naruto balked at the sight of the weapon. "Naruto, I'm going to need you to be completely honest with me. You did something to anger the Akatsuki," she continued as she grabbed the bullets hidden in her purse. She quickly loaded the gun. "How did you get all that alcohol?"

She finally finished loading the pistol and kept it at a ready position at her side. Naruto gulped.

"It's a long story…"

* * *

**So how did he get his hands on that much alcohol? Why is the Akatsuki pissed at him? What secret is Hinata's family hiding, besides being badasses? Tune in to find out! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the love! In this chapter we will have answers to questions!

I am not familiar with the social aspect of high school/college students in Japan so I'm basing the character's antics off of ones I am familiar with.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2: Akatsuki's Grudge**

Shouts and screams were heard through the barricade against the bathroom door. Loud, booming voices shouted at the guests in inquiry of Naruto's location. Gun shots were heard, but from what Hinata could hear the bullets were not coming in contact with flesh but rather walls or ceiling as means of intimidation. A louder shot from above was heard and Naruto jumped and almost knocked a bunch of ceramic decorations onto the floor. Hinata merely winced at the noise.

_Looks like Neji managed to target someone with Betsy._

She heard one of the men shout at a group to check the roof. Hinata kept her gun cocked and ready at her side in case any of them thought to check the bathroom. She motioned to Naruto to keep quiet and she turned the bathroom light out. Stomps were heard as the men came up stairs.

"What kind of party is this? Back in my day we were taking turns in the bedrooms!" a gruff voice muttered as their steps slowed. Hinata guessed he was right beside the door by how clearly she heard him. "The entire floor looks deserted!"

She held back her sigh in relief. No one saw her rush up here in the flurry, and nobody had thought of coming upstairs themselves. She heard more footsteps reach the bathroom door. She waited in anticipation.

"There's a way up to the roof here!" a different voice shouted and Hinata nearly jumped at the sound. The man was very light on his feet and must have maneuvered past the rest of the group, because shortly after the footsteps and voices moved into the bedroom next to the bathroom. He sounded young for an Akatsuki member. "It's pretty sturdy for a lattice…"

His voice faded and so did the sound of the other men following. She hoped Neji had backup because not long after thuds were coming from the roof as well as a series of gunshots. There was another loud boom from Betsy and a man's scream.

Hinata tried not to focus on the violence on the roof and moved to where Naruto was. She nudged his side and together they crawled into the bathtub next to Ino and pulled back the curtains. Their bodies were flush against each other and Hinata was planning and taking full advantage of it.

She blushed, thankful for the darkness, and reigned in her composure. "Tell me," she whispered next to his ear. She felt him nod, his forehead lightly bumping the side of her head.

"My fake ID failed. Sai told me it would work, but unfortunately someone came in and ruined the ruse," he started, his voice a low whisper. She could feel his breath across her cheek, intensifying her blush. "A man in the alleyway offered to sell me some. I didn't think too much on it then because I was freaking out about not being able to bring what I had promised. He grabbed a case from his truck and I handed him the cash, thinking that was all there was to it.

"I was wrong. He told me I was short by over ten thousand yen. All I could think of was how I needed to hurry because Sakura was expecting me, so I promised him I'd pay the rest later. He didn't like that much so he offered for me to pay in…other ways," he shuddered and she bit her lip at the implication of his words. The Akatsuki wasn't above prostitution and sex trafficking, so this was no surprise to her. "Of course I refused, but he kept pushing! Next thing I know my fist was connecting with his face and the man was out cold. I grabbed the case he was planning on selling me and brought it to Sakura's. She said it wasn't enough so…I went back with the coolers and grabbed the remaining cases in the truck."

She winced at that. The Akatsuki did not appreciate being stolen from. Considering the price of just one case, Naruto probably lost them over a hundred thousand assuming that the cases all cost the same.

"I never thought he'd be Akatsuki…" he slumped over in defeat and she could feel tremors in his arm. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she needed to stay focused. She had to keep her attention on the commotion outside of the bathroom. If anyone tried to open the bathroom door, she needed to be ready. But Naruto's shakes were hard to ignore when she heard him sniff.

"It's okay," she whispered, nudging his arm. "It was an honest mistake. It could have been anyone." She smiled despite knowing he wouldn't see it. The bathroom was too dark. She felt his arm move and she guessed he was wiping his face. His head bumped hers again when he shook his head.

"No Hinata, it wasn't. It's worse…" the sound of sirens and screeching tires interrupted him. They heard the man downstairs curse as he ordered his men out. The shuffling on the roof stopped along with the gunshots. After several minutes, footsteps were heard in the hallway.

"Hinata?" The voice belonged to Neji and Hinata got up from her crouched position. She opened the door a crack and her cousin's pale face met hers. He sighed in relief. "Good. Is he in there?"

She opened the door all the way and took in Neji's appearance. His clothing and hair was disheveled and he had a fine layer of sweat covering him. There were bloodstains on his white shirt and bruises along his arms. He was bleeding from his shoulder and she noticed a large bruise forming through the hole in his shirt.  
"Yeah. I also have Ino. She's passed out," she explained as she went over to Neji and inspected his shoulder more closely. She ripped the sleeve off and found the spot where the bullet had pierced him. "A bullet this small wouldn't cause this," she noted as her fingers traced over the purple bruise that extended to Neji's collar bone. "You weren't holding Betsy right. Your shoulder is dislocated."

He shrugged his shoulder away from her and scoffed. "When they came up on the roof I had to change position quickly. I just fired without caring where my shoulder was." He looked past her to see a very confused Naruto still sitting in the bathtub. Neji glared the minute their eyes met. "There were too many. What the hell did you do?"

Hinata answered instead. "What do you mean there were too many?"

"I've never seen that many Akatsuki members in one place," Neji explained as he reached over with his good arm to turn the bathroom light back on. "There were eight with me on the roof, a dozen in the backyard, and who knows how many inside. If we didn't have backup throughout the neighborhood I would be dead right now. So I'll ask again, Uzumaki," he pushed Hinata aside and walked over to Naruto. He moved the semi-automatic assault rifle resting on his back and aimed the barrel at Naruto's chin. Naruto paled at what he assumed was Betsy. "What the hell did you do to piss the Akatsuki off?"

Naruto mumbled and stuttered, unable to speak. Hinata rolled her eyes and pulled Neji back. "Now is not the time for intimidation Neji. Ino will be waking up soon and we need to hurry to my father."

Neji reluctantly put Betsy aside and left the bathroom without another word. Hinata sighed and rubbed her sore neck. She grabbed for Naruto's hand and pulled him up from his sitting position in the tub. When he pointed at Ino, she shook her head and led him down the hallway and into the adjourning bedroom. She saw the window that Neji and the Akatsuki members used to get on the roof and motioned for Naruto to follow.

"We can't get the police involved just yet. They need to focus on getting everyone home safely…" her voice dropped at the sight outside the window. Several people were passed out in the lawn and others in more dire condition were receiving CPR. Two kids were in stretchers being rushed into the ambulances in the front and a voice was ordering for more ambulances via radio. Naruto's curse brought her back to reality. "Come on. We can't exit here."

They crossed the hallway into Ino's room and looked out the window that exited to the side of the house. She quickly unlocked and threw open the window and stepped out. She made sure Naruto was following before she dropped.

The landing wasn't smooth. Her ankles hurt from the impact but no damage was done. Naruto landed next to her with a thud and waited for her next move. "Hold out your hands. I'm not tall enough to jump the fence," she ordered and he complied. She stepped onto his laced fingers, thankful she chose to wear flats instead of heels, and threw her leg over the fence. She felt Naruto push her other leg up to help her all the way over.

The landing into the neighbor's yard was smoother. Naruto jumped the fence with ease while she scanned the area. Night had fallen and she knew that Naruto wouldn't be able to see very well. There were no dogs to avoid, thankfully, and there was a hole in the fence that led to the back streets. She grabbed Naruto's hand and led him to their way out.

"What about your car?" he asked as soon as they were in the clear. They were glad to find the backstreet deserted and started walking toward the main road.

"Don't worry. Neji will bring it by my father's after the commotion settles."

The walk was silent for a while, excluding the sirens and the shouting voices that were growing fainter and fainter. She could feel Naruto's restlessness. People had been hurt and from what they saw in Ino's back yard, the injuries were not gunshot wounds. If her worst fears came to be true and some of the bottles of alcohol were actually bottles of drugs, Naruto would be liable.

Before she could think on it further, they reached a main road where a black car was waiting for them. Hinata nodded toward her sister and got into the back seat. When Naruto followed and buckled in, Hanabi took off.

"Father said you would brief me on what happened," Hanabi started and she accelerated. Naruto shifted in his seat from the tense atmosphere. "People were hurt."

Hinata refused to look at Naruto's solemn expression."He stole alcohol from them and maybe a couple of other things by mistake." She left it at that and Naruto glanced over at her, probably wondering what the "other" meant. She sighed and turned towards him. "The Akatsuki are also known for selling a liquid drug that is not meant to be taken in large amounts, especially by first timers. The worst part of it is that it's not just a controlled substance. It's also a very reactive bomb when met with fire. The explosion we heard could have been someone trying to show off by breathing fire with this drug thinking it was alcohol."

Naruto's eyes widened and the car lurched to a stop. Hanabi got out quickly and opened the door adjacent to Naruto and pulled him out by the scruff of his neck. "What did the bottles you grabbed look like?"

"Uh…the first two were a black label with red clouds. Two other cases had a white label with the clouds. The rest were black with a yellow strip and red clouds…" as he finished, she pushed him back against the car and Hinata exited to try and break it up. Hanabi had violent tendencies.

"The yellow labels indicate Cloud and this idiot thought it was alcohol." Hanabi yelled in protest.

"Cloud?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Could they have been more creative?"

Hanabi's grip on his shoulder tightened. He winced as her nails dug into flesh. "Not important. Hinata take him inside before I hit him."

She let go of him and a more gentle hand grabbed him. He followed Hinata up the stairs that led to a rather large and rather old looking house. It was a more traditional in style compared to Sakura's and Ino's. As they approached the sliding door, they took their shoes off and followed a long corridor to the back of the house. Hinata turned right down another hallway and stood in front of another set of sliding doors. "Don't be afraid of my father Naruto. We're here to protect you."  
When doors opened the first thing Naruto saw was a man sitting at a small table blaring orders on his phone. Another man next to him was nodding to someone on his line and occasionally updating the guy who seemed to be in charge. Six other men were sitting quietly against the walls.

But what shocked him the most was seeing Sasuke's brother present.

"Naruto." He stiffened as he was addressed by the head policeman. Hinata nudged him forward and together they approached the table where Hiashi sat. Itachi remained quiet as he observed the situation carefully.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Hiashi started once he got off the phone. "I wish we could have met under different circumstances. You're in quite a lot of trouble."

Naruto gulped at the mere authority the man executed with little to no effort. He sat in one of the chairs in front of Hiashi's desk and tried to avoid eye contact at all costs, but found himself looking when Hiashi grunted in displeasure. "I have heard that not only did Akatsuki attack, there was a small army there for your head. On top of that, a large quantity of Cloud was given to minors under the impression that it was alcohol. We have three confirmed deaths, two Akatsuki and one student. Several are in the ICU either from overdose, sever burns from the explosion, or gunshot wounds. Of those suffering from overdose, only a handful will survive with no permanent effects."

Naruto winced at each point that Hiashi made. He really was in a lot of shit.

"You are only liable for those who consumed Cloud, as well as underage drinking and the illegal obtainment of alcohol." Naruto knew what was coming next. He vaguely wondered why Hiashi was giving him his sentence rather than Itachi, but he felt too guilty and ashamed to care. "And that is why fom this day forward, you will be under the Hyūga's protection." Hiashi started, leaving Naruto momentarily confused."We can not excuse your crimes as of yet, but right now the important thing is protecting you from the Akatsuki. Your legal punishment will be on hold until we ensure the Akatsuki members are all behind bars."

Naruto became confused again. "But how?"

"The Hyūga family has been working undercover with the police for many years. Before the law became what it is now, we were the ones who handled criminals using our family's martial art practices. These practices never died, but now only the police chief and a select few know about our war against the Akatsuki."

Naruto, who was listening quite intently, knitted his brows as he tried to absorb the information. That explained why Hinata and Neji had guns and seemed to know more about what was going on, but he still found the whole thing surreal.

"What is it exactly that you do?"

Hiashi laced his fingers on his desk in front of him. "There are two sects that handle the Akatsuki. Neji, my twin brother's son, is head of the military branch. They, in short, do the dirty work." Naruto's eyes widened at the implication which he did not miss. He resisted the shiver at the knowledge that Neji had killed before, probably with Betsy and who knows what other methods. It definitely made him less eager to spar with Neji. "My daughter, the one who saved your life this evening, is under my sect which deals in protection, intelligence, and deception."

He glanced over at Hinata who gave a small, nervous smile back at him. He was quite surprised to know about Hinata's double life before, but now knowing a few more details opened a big door of secrets that he would have never thought of. The shock was beginning to wear him down.

"But why are you doing this for me when I'm the one who caused all this?" He wanted to yell, punch something, anything, but settled with asking more questions.

"To put it bluntly, we're not doing this primarily for you. The Akatsuki seem hellbent on getting to you, which will bring them out in the open more. It's more of a trap we're employing to arrest them for their crimes."

Great. Now he was bait.

"It's just a matter of assigning your guardian that we need to consider, as well as covering up the real story from the public." Hiashi finished as the other man who was on the phone motioned to him. He nodded at Itachi while he left to talk to whoever was on the line.

Naruto didn't want to meet Itachi's disapproving eyes.

But unfortunately Itachi was having none of that. "I need to know what happened, how this started, and any other important details so that I can come up with a convincing cover story."

It took some nudging from Hinata, but he managed to explain everything. The man in the alleyway, the location of the truck that was transporting the alcohol, the fight he had with the man, and why he took more cases. Itachi remained calm throughout the whole ordeal, even though Naruto could see the pursing of his lips to keep a comment quiet. Several times he felt Hinata grab his shoulder reassuringly when he felt the urge to cry or when his nerves started acting up or when he rambled.

"Stealing from the Akatsuki isn't punishable by death," Itachi started moments after Naruto finished.

In that moment, everyone in the room became silent and looked at him expectantly. He gulped at the pressure.

"That's because that's only what recently happened," he explained as he rubbed the back of his neck, his head down in shame. Hinata for the hundredth time that night put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Back when I was living on the streets, I did some, uh, minor pranks on the Akatsuki because I didn't like what they did. Yeah I stole and did some things I'm not proud of but these people were actually harming others and little me didn't quite understand just how dangerous they were." He laughed somberly at the thought. "They only knew my street name and never got a good look at me so when Tsunade and Jiraiya rescued me, they had no idea that the blonde kid on TV was the Kurama that they either wanted dead or amongst their ranks. I never figured out which. But now that they've found me, I'm pretty sure it's dead."

Hiashi hung up on whoever he was on the phone with and rejoined them in the center of the room. "This means we'll have to assign someone of higher caliber to protect you. It's one thing to steal from the Akatsuki and another to have bad history with them," he motioned over a man who was amongst those sitting against the wall. "Hiori, how many do we have available?"

"Currently, just Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama," Hiori announced, his voice deep and stern. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the honorific, but he never understood Japanese formalities to begin with.

"I can't send Hanabi. She's still in training," Hiashi mused as he walked to stand right in front of Naruto and Hinata. Hinata dropped her hand from Naruto's shoulder and stood up straight, awaiting the order. "Hinata, will you take the job?"

She didn't miss the way his eyes narrowed and shifted toward Naruto for a second before dropping to the hand that she had returned to her side. "Yes, sir!"

"Good. Naruto you will follow Itachi into the other room to discuss a cover story. I need to speak with my daughter alone," as he said this, Itachi grabbed Naruto by the arm and led him out. A couple of others followed them, leaving only her and her father.

"I do not appreciate your decision to keep from me the activities that were being held at Yamanaka's party this evening." She winced at his tone of voice, but nodded in understanding. "You are to no longer attend these parties unless it is to follow Naruto, and even then you will remain hidden and not interact socially. Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded again.

"As for your assignment..." he went back to his desk and sat down. "I'm not sure if you are qualified." She looked up in shock at her father's words. "What I mean is, you're too... emotionally attached. You'll protect him but only temporarily."

The thought of not being sure of Naruto's protection scared her more than she ever thought it would. She trusted the others in their sect, but she was the best with a higher success rate than the others. She had to agree with her father to an extent because yes, she was emotionally attached. But it's because of her feelings toward Naruto that she wanted to protect him at all costs. She saw no reason as to why her feelings would affect her performance of the mission.

"Father, I admit that...that I do have feelings for Naruto, but it will not keep me from performing my duty. My feelings come second to his safety." Her fingers curled at her sides as she felt her anxiety rise, but she pushed through despite the overwhelming feeling. "Plus, Naruto and I will be sharing classes when term starts in a few weeks. I won't have to sneak around as much as the others would because I'll be right there if anything happens. Not to mention, it would be easy to cover up my mission from the Akatsuki. They'll just think Naruto and I are hanging out because we're classmates."

Hiashi laced his fingers together and rested his chin upon them. He thought over her argument carefully. He still had his worries, but Hinata did make a good point. The Akatsuki did not know of her service. He made sure his daughters would be safe by having neither of them seen by Akatsuki without disguises, and having the Akatsuki believe that the name Hyūga had nothing to do with their enemy.

"Fine, but as soon as I have someone available I will have them as surveillance until I'm convinced that your emotions will not blind you. Two months will be the duration of your solo work, enough to cover the summer semesters." Hinata restrained her cheer at her father's words. Never before had he put so much faith in her. The surveillance was a minor setback, but if she was careful that wouldn't stay.

He fingers unclenched and her anxiety passed, a small smile graced her lips as she accepted the job.

* * *

Sorry for the delay! My laptop's motherboard fried and I had trouble working on the chapter because of it. But I finally got myself a new computer (this time a desktop!) and was finally able to get back to work!

The next update should not take as long, I promise! Until then, leave me some love!


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